Alec Bradley's Sweet Melody*

Last night, Habanos Cigar Lounge in Pawtucket, RI became a symphony** hall for the senses. The conductor? Drinnen Thornton of Alec Bradley Cigars.

The man of the hour, Drinnen (left) and the man of all my hours, Valentino (right)

The instruments? His showcase:

Photo by Nathalie Tamer, one of my favorite people!
(Stolen from facebook without asking! Sorry, Nathalie! Can I use this picture?)

The symphony? The smell of the room's sweet smokiness; the sounds of laughter and conversation as old friends and new friends join in the camaraderie that rarely exists outside of the cigar world; the sight of the patrons' and bartenders' pleasure as they first inhaled on the new or old favorite; the taste of all the delicious cigars in their mouths and in the back of my throat; the feel of the hugs and touches of greeting and emphasis.

*By the way, extended metaphors are hard.

To the left of me, Bob smoked an Alec Bradley Black Market Toro, a medium-to-full. When I asked him if it was spicy, because that's what I thought I was sensing, he said, "Yeah, it's peppery." According to Cigars International, "This 4-country blend is jam-packed with Jamastran, Honduras and Panamanian long-fillers, capped off by a lively Sumatra binder and powerful Nicaraguan wrapper leaf. Upon first lighting, plumes of smoke fill the air as the blend burns with purpose. Unique and satisfying arrays of flavors greet your palate, as spice, pepper, and peaty undertones finish the ensemble. With a long dry finish, and slow burn, the Black Market cigar is a finger burner."

Lauren, one of the supercool bartenders, was smoking a Family Blend, which she said was medium and "leathery." Again, stealing from CI, "On the outside, a milk chocolate brown wrapper from Honduras glistens with oils and boats a smooth, silky sheen. Beneath this leaf, an aged m​ixture of Honduran and Nicaraguan long-fillers is secured by a zesty Indonesian binder. The result is a medium-bodied smoke layered by rich notes of toast, wood, and leather with a little bit of earthy undertones in between. Smooth and balanced throughout, this highly rated handmade is an excellent choice."

Valentino (saving the best for last, of course) had this, now one of his favorites:

The Alec Bradley Connecticut

 He said it was a mild smoke but still had a lot of flavor, but not a lot of peppery notes (hence the mild). It ranked in his top three cigars in that category. I would too. With the fuller Black Market on my left, the sweeter Connecticut created a perfect balance of smoke.  "You can tell a lot about a cigar when you suck in before you light it," he said. "It had a lot of character to it even then. I knew I was going to love it and I did." (I can attest to this; we have a lot of them waiting in the wings, aging in the humidor after last night's event.***) (I can't wait for their next reveal.)

Cigar.com says about the Connecticut, "Mild to medium in body but rich in flavor, the recently released Connecticut explores the lighter side of Alec Bradley cigars. Notes of sweet cedar and earth leads to a smooth, creamy experience that's interesting right down to the nub."
Then, on to this:

The Alec Bradley Prensado, the 6 x 62, Double T.

He's always said the Prensado is one of his favorite cigars, and there they were on the display table in all their deliciousness.  Generally, he smokes the smaller Robusto, 50 x 5, but went for the bigger gun this time. It's 96-rated and considered a full cigar and he likes "the smoothness of it. The draw is outstanding.  In fact, it's so smooth, with lots of flavor and great construction that it doesn't get so strong that it's unsmokable in the last third, as many full-bodied cigars are for me. Not as much pepperiness, which is good because I generally prefer a more mild to medium."

Just so you know: "In addition to being named the Top Cigar of 2011, Alec Bradley Prensado received an unheard of, 96-point rating, noting, 'The Alec Bradley Prensado is as gorgeous a cigar as you’ll ever see, with a picture-perfect head and a stunning wrapper. But it is the flavor that makes it a classic smoke. The Honduran and Nicaraguan tobaccos come together to create leather, chocolate and spice notes, and a long, lush finish.'" [source]

***Last night's booty. No, the other kind of booty.
And shut up, I haven't figured out how to rotate photos on my new computer.

We're sitting outside, enjoying the shade (because the sun is HOT) as I write this. He's just finished the other half of last night's Prensado. I think he's tired of my incessant questions. (I know I would be!)   He looks at me, exasperated. "Sometimes I like a cigar because I like it. No need to get all uppity." Then he kisses me on the top of the head and gets me some Oreos. Roger that.

Want more information? Info that will wow people at your next cocktail party?

 **I had intended to carry this metaphor all the way through, and then I got tired just thinking about all the research involved, since I know nothing about music. No. Thing. I don't even listen to the radio when I drive.  Audiobooks, baby!! My nerdiness knows no bounds!!

Meet the House Specialist...

...the man who smokes!

...the man with the big cigar!

...the man who reads the posts and just stares at me (I'd like to think he's staring because he's in awe of my genius, but the stare is usually accompanied by a comment like, "You're writing about Spanx in a cigar blog?)

...the man who takes one for the team and smokes all these delicious cigars so I can second-hand smoke them.  (The sacrifices you guys make in the name of love...just staggering.)

It's Valentino!

When did you first start smoking cigars?
Jeez, it had to be in the late 80s.

Do you remember what kind it was?
The Baccarat.  My first box purchase ever. I hated it. I asked the guy at Thomson, or maybe CI, for a recommendation. ::here in the interview is a lot of hand flailing, as the Italians do::  I think I have the box! I don't even remember the flavor. I was new to smoking and I just didn't think they were very good. But then again I didn't know what was not good back then. Oh, plus price. It was definitely a price-conscious purchase back then.

The actual box o' pain and disappointment.

We should give them another try!
::painedlook::

Or not.
I really started smoking cigars on golf trips for my work.*  One of the perks were all these free, amazing cigars, and meeting all these great guys who smoked. That's when I really started getting into the whole culture. My go-to back then was Macanudo.

[*I know what you're thinking. Whhhhaaaaa? Where can I get that job? Exactly. --ed]

Say I bought you a box of cigars and, by the way, it's beautifully wrapped because you know that's one of my mad skillz. Before you open the package, what brand and type of cigar are you hoping for? (Not Cubans, because there's no way I could get those without you knowing, since I'd have to ask you to get my passport out of the safe, and then you'd see the flight to and hotel at a place with a La Casa del Habano nearby, and... So, no Cubans. What else?)
'64 Padron Pyramid. Or the Torpedo.  To quote comedian Brian Regan, "They're BOTH favorites."

I would pretend not to see the charges if you wanted to go to a LCDH.

Because you're nice like that. So I'm smuggling Montecristo #2s into the country?
It's not like you haven't done it before.

Whatever, dude. Next question: What do you like most about the cigar community?
Camraderie. How nice everybody is.  You come in, everybody says, "Hello." Not like a regular bar, where people keep to themselves and smoke their cigarettes, hanging in their cliques. In a cigar bar or with a group of cigar smokers hanging around together, you feel like everybody is on the same level. No one is sitting there thinking that they're better than anyone else.  And everyone talks to each other about the cigars they're smoking, which leads to other conversations, and very quickly, friendship.

And everyone's willing to share. Need a lighter or a cutter? Here you go.  And on more than one occasion, someone has mentioned that they have never tried a certain cigar and they're quickly gifted with one.

You handed over one of the beloved Monte #2s once, to someone you didn't even know that well, although we did see him pretty regularly at events sponsored by our tobacconist.
Well, he said he'd never had one.

Of course. You look like you need a smoke.  What are we having? How about a Monte... Just kidding. Kuba Kuba? I'm dying for something sweet.
::stares in that way that makes a girl's Spanx fall off (which is no easy task)::

Ciao!

At LCDH in Falmouth, Jamaica.